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Half Dome day use permits available

Half Dome cables day use permits for the 2013 hiking season will be available for reservation starting today, March 1, through Sunday, March 31, Yosemite National Park officials announced.

Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required. Reservations will be distributed via a lottery system. Successful parties will be notified in early April.

A maximum of 300 hikers will be allowed on the Half Dome cables per day.

Reservations for the permits can be made online at www.recreation.govor by calling 1-877-444-6777.

Approximately 50 subsequent daily permits will be available each day by lottery during the hiking season. These permits are made available based on the average number of no-shows and cancellations from the pre-season lottery.

The permits must be applied for two days in advance of the desired hiking date. Reservations for the two-day in advance permits can also be made through www.recreation.gov.

Hiking to the top of Half Dome is one of the most popular hikes in Yosemite National Park. The iconic granite monolith, at 8,842 feet above sea level, attracts people from all over the world who attempt to climb to the summit.

Most visitors ascend Half Dome via the cables, which are typically in place from mid-May through mid-October. Most visitors begin and end their hike at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley.

It is an approximately 17-mile, round-trip journey.

June Lake Loop prescribed burning

The Mono Lake Ranger District of the Inyo National Forest is planning to implement a prescribed fire project for habitat improvement and hazardous fuels reduction over the next several weeks, west of U.S. Hwy 395 and east of Grant Lake.

The burn patches will be located in the more remote areas of the June Lake Loop, away from structures.

The project is expected to last several days, weather permitting.

Smoke may be visible from June Lake and Lee Vining but is expected to drift away.